SAN JOSE – Despite some horrific kicking for most of the game, San Diego State (5-4 overall, 4-1 Mountain West) overcame a 14-point deficit to come from behind and beat San Jose State (5-4, 4-2) 34-30 Saturday night at Spartan Stadium.

The blueprint of this game was the direct opposite of how things unfolded in 2012, when SJSU quarterback David Fales spurred the Spartans to a 21-point fourth quarter that sunk the Aztecs.

This time, it was SDSU's turn to stun the home team with a ferocious late-game rally.

Down 20-12 at halftime, the Aztecs scored three touchdowns in the final quarter to jump ahead 34-30 before J.J. Whittaker intercepted Fales with 2:35 remaining.

Running back Adam Muema had the Aztecs' first and final scores -- a 2-yard touchdown run and a 12-yard touchdown run at the end that gave SDSU its first lead.

Until that point, the Aztecs were plagued by turnovers and almost comical kicking. SDSU kicker Seamus McMorrow opened the game with a blocked field goal, followed with a blocked extra point and a missed field goal. Wes Feer also missed an extra point for SDSU in the second quarter.

But on a night of miscues from the Aztecs’ kickers, the Spartans were not exempt from the mayhem.

With SDSU trailing the Spartans 23-12, Damontae Kazee sparked the Aztecs' revival by blocking SJSU kicker Austin Lopez’s 38-yard attempt in the fourth quarter, and Nat Berhe picked up the live ball, running it back 56 yards to give the Aztecs possession at the Spartans’ 34.

Freshman running back D.J. Pumphrey then cut down the left sideline for a 34-yard touchdown.

Taking no chances with their shaky kickers -- who'd been unsuccessful all night -- the Aztecs went for the two-point conversion, and quarterback Quinn Kaehler’s successful pass to Dylan Denso made the score 23-20 in SJSU’s favor.

The Spartans returned fire with a drive that culminated in a 12-yard touchdown pass from Fales to Tim Crawley.

But SDSU then launched a 74-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown toss from Kaehler to Adam Roberts.

That’s when McMorrow finally came through for the Aztecs and made the extra point.

Thereafter the Aztecs settled down.

The defense came up with a huge play when Eric Pinkins broke up a long second-down pass that would have given the Spartans a new set of downs, and the Spartans were forced to punt from their own end zone.

SDSU got the ball back at the SJSU 38 and the ensuing drive culminated with Muema's 12-yard touchdown run. He finished with 21 carries for 113 yards.

McMorrow made a second-consecutive extra point to give SDSU a 34-30 lead that ultimately held up.

McMorrow went into the game 0-for-2 on field goals for the year, and his poor start dug the Aztecs into an early hole.

After his first blocked field goal, the Spartans rubbed salt in the Aztecs' wounds by getting on the board with a 43-yard field goal from Lopez.

The Spartans quickly tacked a touchdown onto that when Fales hit Crawley in the end zone for a 13-yard score.

SDSU came back with a 2-yard run from Muema, but its poor performance on special teams continued when McMorrow's extra point was blocked.

The Spartans showed up the Aztecs again on special teams later in the second quarter when Lopez converted a 27-yard field goal to go up 13-6.

SJSU extended that lead after some trickery, when Fales pitched to Crawley, who lateraled back to the quarterback. Fales then hit a wide-open Chandler Jones for a 40-yard touchdown pass.

The Aztecs attempted to come back, with Colin Lockett scoring on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Kaehler with less than a minute remaining in the second quarter. That's when the Aztecs went to Feer on the extra point, but his try was also blocked.

Kaehler started slow but finished 18 of 31 for 235 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

The Spartans managed to shut down SDSU's No. 1 receiver Ezell Ruffin (three catches for 25 yards) by pitting preseason first team All-Mountain West cornerback Bene Benwikere against him, but Colin Lockett came up with six receptions for a team-high 90 yards for SDSU.

Fales was 27 of 48 for 301 yards with three touchdowns but also had two costly interceptions. SJSU's leading receiver was Jones, who notched 155 yards and a TD on 11 receptions.

SDSU outgained the Spartans 409-382 on offense.

The win kept the Aztecs in bowl contention with three games remaining. They will be bowl eligible with six wins but will likely need seven wins to guarantee a bid.